September Sweet Clover Barn Sale Preview

Hi friends! I've been crazy busy with school and work lately, but I wanted to stop in and show you a few pictures of my space in the Sweet Clover Barn in Frederick, Maryland. The Barn will be open this weekend and will feature many new vendors in the newly renovated upstairs portion of the barn. I won't make it to the sale this month but I definitely encourage you go check it out!

The barn will be open Friday - Sunday, 10am - 5pm. Happy treasure hunting!!

August Aqua Dresser

Last month I did a pretty dresser with a mirror in ASCP Duck Egg blue and absolutely loved how it turned out. Something about aqua over dark wood is just gorgeous when the wood peaks through a little bit, and I'm noticing that Duck Egg has a really nice depth to it.

Given that one of my favorite colors is aqua and my space at Sweet Clover is full of bright colors, I couldn't help but do another one this month. Aqua in a room is kind of like a great pair of blue jeans -- it looks good with just about any other color and works with many different styles and ages.

To paint this piece, I removed the hardware and drawers and gave the entire piece two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg blue. I tried to go light on the areas on the side of the piece with the carved detail because those are especially nice when the wood shows through. Once the paint dried, I went over it with a high grit Ultraflex softback sanding sponge to a smooth finish all over the piece. I am in love with these sanding sponges because they seem to be finer than any of the 3M superfine sanding sponges at Home Depot, and they prepare your piece so that it takes wax or poly much better. I also use the sanding sponge to pull off some of the paint over the edges and the carved areas. The sanding sponges are great for that because they pull off paint but they generally don't remove the finish on the wood, which means you still get that beautiful dark color peeking through instead of the natural wood. The Ultraflex sanding sponges are available at Stylish Patina if you're interested in picking a few up!

After sanding, I gave the entire piece a coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax and buffed it out. Then I reattached the hardware.

This dresser is REALLY solid. The frame and drawers are solid wood, and there are drawer guards in between each drawer. It was made by Kindel Furniture Company, which still produces high end historic replicas of furniture today. According to the information I could find about the style of the stamp on the inside of a drawer, it was made somewhere between 1930 and 1950.

I wish I had taken a better picture of the original hardware because it's seriously cool. The large metal knobs have a flower motif on them. Even though the detail of the hardware probably would've looked cool painted, I couldn't bare to paint it.

This piece will be available during the August Sweet Clover Barn Sale, Friday - Sunday, August 16-18, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Hope to see you there!

Sharing at: Miss Mustard Seed, Elizabeth & Co.,

Mint and Brass Table

I'm a sucker for furniture with great brass hardware, so when my mom found this table with great brass pulls and caps on craigslist, I eagerly snatched it up. It sat in my living room for a bit while I debated what color to paint it.

I even asked everyone's opinion on Facebook and got a few votes for emerald. Loving the green and gold combination, I decided to mix my own emerald green ASCP using the combination I used on my Eastlake table. My original mix was Antibes, Florence, and Aubusson, but I didn't have much Florence, but I figured that Antibes and Aubusson would do basically the same thing. Unfortunately it turned out much smokier than I intended, so I decided to go a different direction and make a mint by adding some Pure White and Provence. It was a happy mistake because I absolutely love the way the mint and brass turned out, and I think it works better in my space than emerald green does anyway.

This table will be available at the Sweet Clover Barn Sale this weekend, August 16-18.

Sharing at: Miss Mustard Seed, Elizabeth & Co.

Royal Baby Celebration: Free Kate Printable

I love Kate Middleton...I mean, sorry, the Duchess of Cambridge. She handles herself with so much grace and poise, and she is masterful at pulling off looks that are both sophisticated and sexy. Plus she managed to snag Prince William, who seems to be an all around nice guy, and I appreciate that their relationship hasn't been without issues.

And when she had her multimillion dollar wedding, her marriage lasted longer than 72 days.

So in celebration of the new royal baby, I'm offering up this free printable that I used to make one of the pieces of artwork available in my space at Sweet Clover.

Click here to download a free PDF of this image, formatted for a 5x7 picture frame. Feel free to share a picture if you decide to use it for a project!

Chairs and More Chairs

For some odd reason, I have a habit of picking up random chairs from thrift stores, yard sales, and auctions. I end up accumulating them in my basement until I have the energy to take on another upholstery project. So it seems natural that my space at the Sweet Clover Barn should be overrun by chairs.

This month I have four in my space itself. I have a pair of these really fun cane-back armchairs on casters:

I also have this cool mid-century channel-back armchair with funky orange upholstery, which is in great shape. And do you see that little high chair peeking out from the right side of the photo?

As if those four weren't enough, I also have two upholstered chairs out in the cottage behind the Sweet Clover Barn. Every month, Sweet Clover will be featuring a theme in the cottage, and will use pieces from a number of the vendors to fill the space. This month they are doing a "Summer Soiree" theme, which uses white and neutral foundation pieces surrounded by colorful chairs and accessories.

I actually have two more of these types of chairs in my basement, but I need to repair them and reupholster them, so look for them at a later sale!

And does this little stool count as a chair? It's for sitting, right? Does that bring my total for this month to 7? I think I might have a problem.

All of these items will be available at the Sweet Clover Barn Sale this weekend, Friday - Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm!

P.S. I stole photos 1, 2, 3, and 5 from the Sweet Clover Barn Sale July Preview album on the Sweet Clover Facebook page. Check out the other awesome stuff that's available this month!

Linked to:

Duck Egg Blue Dresser

Last night I finished setting up my space at the Sweet Clover Barn in preparation for this weekend's sale. We'll be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. Hope to see you there!

I only added two pieces of furniture to my space this month. The first is the herringbone table I showed you last week, and the second is a gorgeous antique dresser that I painted in ASCP Duck Egg. I gave it two coats, but I went light around the details on the drawers because I like the wood to show through a bit. The detail on the front was missing in places, but I think that adds to the interest and texture on the drawer fronts.

I stole this photo from the Sweet Clover Facebook Page since Cassie of Primitive and Proper is a way better photographer than me!

I finished this dresser with wax, and I love the way the top looks. There's a very subtle variation in the color which gives it more depth.

I'll be back tomorrow to share more of my Sweet Clover space! I'll also upload most of my inventory to my facebook page, so be sure to like it!

Linked to:

Herringbone Drop Leaf Table

I'm busy working on some furniture and accessories for the Sweet Clover, and I wanted to share one of my latest projects.

Photo from the Sweet Clover Facebook Page

This table was in ROUGH shape when I picked it up. It was painted lime green with a really crummy paint job, and the top of it was all kinds of beat up. I decided to strip and power sand the top. I stained the top with General Finishes Java Gel stain, and put a layer of Varathane poly to seal the stain so that it wouldn't bleed through the painted pattern. Then I measured and taped off the herringbone pattern, and painted two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Duck Egg. I painted the rest of the piece Duck Egg and sanded it all down with a super fine grit sanding sponge. I opted to seal the table with poly since I had already sealed the stain with poly and I figured it would be more durable. 

I love it! It will be available in my space at Sweet Clover next weekend. Hope to see you there!

Pinterest Challenge: Brass Etagere

For those of you who are big Young House Love fans like I am, you are probably familiar with their Pinterest Challenge series. I have wanted to link up a project for so long, but never got around to it in the previous editions. I'm proud to say I actually completed a project, photographed it, and wrote a post in time for this season's challenge!

I've been crushing on brass furniture lately, which I mentioned when I was swooning over coffee tables. I've also been seeing some great hacks of the Ikea Vittsjo pop up all over Pinterest. Our living room is fairly long, so it lends itself to having two distinct seating areas. On the left, I decided we needed something with more height, and I also wanted a place to display accessories and make our house feel a little more lived in.

One day when I wasn't working, I went out to Ikea. I never go to Ikea on a Saturday if I can avoid it, so it was nice to head over there on a weekday morning. After spending some time wandering through the showroom, I went downstairs and grabbed my Vittsjo. Only I didn't think about how huge it was....60 lbs and a little over 7 feet. Although I was encouraged to ask for help per the sign by the box, I  stubbornly wrestled the box onto my car myself and made my way to the checkout.

Sorry about the crummy iPhone pic!

Then I had to get it into the car by myself...good thing I have Fiona, because this thing was huge. I could see people around me looking skeptical, but I was able to fit the whole shelving unit in the car by folding the front seat down. Honda should seriously be paying me for the number of times I show people how much cargo room the Fit really has.

Anyway, I managed to get my new Vittsjo home and in the house by myself (woooo girl power). Then I went to work trying to figure out what color gold spray paint I should use on the piece. Some people spray painted theirs, some people used Rub 'n Buff, and some people gold leafed their's. I went the spray paint route for time's sake. I originally intended to buy Krylon's Gold Leaf based on Kate's recommendation on Centsational Girl, but they were out, so I ended up buying another Krylon color instead.

First I put together the frame, and then took it down to our backyard and spray painted it. It took a few coats, and I had to do some touch up after I brought it back inside and realized that I had missed a couple places. I let it dry for a few days and then brought it upstairs and added the glass shelving, and added accessories...which continue to change on a regular basis.

I'll be honest, I'm not in love with the color. I think that I will go over it with Rub'n Buff when school slows down a bit. But for now, I'm still really liking the look in our living room.

Oh, and if you're interested in the sources for the objects on the bookshelf, here's a rundown of what they are:

• Books: Young House Love, Inspired You (Miss Mustard Seed), 100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life (Jonathan Adler), Design*Sponge at Home (Grace Bonney), The Death and Life of Great American Cities (Jane Jacobs), Cupcakes and Cashmere (Emily Schuman), Domino, The Things that Matter (Nate Berkus), Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (Jenny Slate), How to Hepburn (Karen Karbo), The Gospel According to Coco Chanel (Karen Karbo), Pottery Barn: Photos, Let's Get Comfortable (Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams), Furniture Styles (Vintage)
• Fashion Print: Figure art print by Leigh Viner 
• Milk glass dish: vintage (similar)
• Blue telephone insulators: vintage. I have a bunch of these for sale, so contact me if you'd like one. 
• Blue and white vase: my mom's house (similar)
• Glass apothocary jar: Homegoods (similar)
• Ikat bowl: Anthropologie (similar)
• Gray box: Homegoods (similar)
• Brass elephant: DIY - Plastic elephant from Michael's spray painted gold (similar)
• Flower print: West Elm (similar)
• Green dish: Anthropologie (similar)
• Small plate: Vintage (similar)
• White Owl bookend: Homegoods (similar)
• Silver Revere bowl: Vintage (similar)
• White ceramic horse: Target
• Brass bowl: Vintage (similar)
• Empire State building: DIY - puzzle from Michael's, spray painted pink
• Blue and white plate: Target (similar)
• Magazines: Check out what subscriptions I receive

Did any of you participate in Young House Love's Pinterest Challenge? Make sure you check out the projects of the other hosts: Katie from Bower Power, Megan from the Remodeled Life, and Michelle from Decor and the Dog.

Also linked to: Miss Mustard Seed

A Tale of Four Coffee Tables

This is a tale of how I ended up owning four coffee tables at one time...which is coincidentally also a tale of three very tolerant roommates.

Those of you who have known me for a while may recall when I refinished my first coffee table for our living room. I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself. But I haven't been in love with it lately. It's not that I don't like the table, it's just that it's to heavy for this space. We have a pretty large sectional in our living room, and the upper drawer gives it a heftiness that makes this space feel a little crowded. That said, the height and general dimensions have worked well.

I posted a few months ago about my obsession with Hollywood Regency marble coffee tables, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I am still head over heals for that marble and brass combo. In fact, my parents got rid of their glass and brass coffee table and gave it to me to sell at a yard sale...except it didn't sell. So I have been dragging my feet trying to sell it through other means because part of me hoped that I could use that gorgeous brass base if I found the perfect marble top for it. But alas, I have not. And I'm not convinced that an oval is the right shape for this space anyway.

If you read that marble table post, you may also remember that I did actually purchase a marble coffee table, only to get it home and realize...nope. Way too small. Proportion and I don't totally understand each other yet, but through this experience we are definitely getting to know each other better. So that coffee table base recently got a fresh coat of ASCP French Linen with gilded gold accents. She's now for sale. If you're interested, drop me a line.

So the fourth coffee table? Well, in November I watched an episode of Sabrina Soto's High Low Project in which she used a mid-century travertine and brass coffee table in her high version, and a brass and glass with a white back coffee table in her low version, which got me thinking, maybe I don't really need marble, maybe I just need a material that reflects light and varies the textures in the room. I knew glass just wouldn't work for us, but maybe lacquered wood would? So I started searching for brass bases that I could put a lacquered table top on.

Then, around black Friday Gilt.com had a sale where everything was 50% (max $100 discount). That's when I saw this coffee table from Safavieh. This was the kind of table I had actually been looking for when I bought my metallic side table. I'm not going for such a rustic vibe, but the proportions were perfect, and I liked the modern shape. With the sale it was about $120, and shipping was only about $8. Then it occurred to me: if this table was reasonably priced and had good bones, I could probably work a little magic and transform it into the brass and lacquered look I'm going for. So I bought it. It was scheduled to come in January, which was awesome at the time because I had like a million things to do before Christmas and I needed to move a bunch of existing projects out of our house so I could easily wait to deal with this coffee table.

via Amazon.com

Then one night in December I got home from class around 11:00 p.m. and found this leaning against a wall in our entry way. Whoops.

Normally I am pumped when things arrive early, but I was a little less than excited about this one. It's still sitting in its box until I can figure out what to do with the three other tables. I'm thinking about gold-leafing or spray painting the base. I haven't decided if I want to paint the top, stain it darker, or leave it as is yet.

So that is how I ended up with four coffee tables. In summary, if you are looking for a coffee table, I might have one for you. Call me maybe?

Linked to: Miss Mustard Seed

Safavieh Alec Coffee Table

Deciding Which Project to Tackle Next

Recently a few people have asked me how I decide which projects I take on when, so I thought I'd give you a little insight into my process. Here are a few rules to live by when planning which projects to tackle around the house.

Rule #1: As much as possible, finish a project before you acquire a new one. I am a total furniture hoarder. I'm really trying to be better about it, but in the past I've been really bad about picking up stuff on Craigslist because it's free, or accepting things from friends I don't really need, or holding on to pieces because I think I can sell them. I do not suggest being like this, because it makes it a heck of a lot harder to get anything done. It's kind of like ordering a book on Amazon.com every time you read a good review, but never finishing the book you started months ago. You're never going to read those new books until you finish that one you started, so just stop buying them. OK, you caught me...I do that too.

Stop looking on Craigslist. Buy/order your materials. Make decisions. Dedicate time to your project. One way that you can help yourself to do this while preserving ideas or intentions for the future is by keeping a sketchbook. Maybe you have an idea of what kind of a media stand you want to get, but you really should spend time refinishing the dining room table first. Sketch the media stand, know what kind of dimensions you're thinking about, and revisit the idea after you've finished the table. Seriously. It's a lot easier to let an idea go when you know you have it recorded somewhere.

My dining room as I prepared for Lucketts. Furniture everywhere. 

Rule #2: Don't burn out on difficult projects. I have a few friends who like to run marathons. Most of them run about two a year. In between marathons, they're still running and racing a lot, but they're doing 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, etc. They just can't run marathon on top of marathon because they would totally burn out. I am no marathon runner, but I treat some of my more intense projects the same way. For example, stripping and refinishing a piece of furniture like my desk chair is a long, often miserable process. I am always proud of the end result, but I need a good long time in between projects like that. While I could probably tackle a similar project immediately afterwards, I know that 1) I will be miserable, and this is something I try to do for fun; and 2) I probably won't do a very good job because I will be so impatient and fried after the last project that I'll try to take shortcuts or miss important details. I also need time in between projects to forget how long and annoying some of them can be.

I ended up taking apart my desk chair to do a really thorough job stripping paint off it before I refinished it.
It took forrreevvverrrr. 

Rule #3: Give yourself some freebies. This is no new concept: it helps to gain momentum by taking care of a small project  that you've been meaning to do but haven't gotten around to yet. In this case I'm talking painting a tray or vase or something. They are quick and can be done on a Saturday afternoon, and it feels so good to cross it off your list that. Plus, you might be so inspired that you spend the rest of the day tackling more projects. Freebies don't have to be furniture or painting projects. They can be finally putting that accessory you bought at the store in the right place, or hanging a picture, or even cleaning your room.

Rule #4: Plan projects with the seasons. This week it's been in the 20s in DC. This is not spray painting weather or doing anything outside weather unless it involves a snowsuit. So it would be really stupid of me pick up something tomorrow that needs to be spray painted. Likewise, I better not intend to paint anything in my backyard in July when it's 95 degrees and 200% humidity outside. It will never dry. So when I think about acquiring projects, I have to think about when I'll reasonably be able to address them.

My desk was much easier to sand outside because I could use my power sander, which would have generated too much dust to use indoors.

Rule #5: Know your finishes. While my personal aesthetic leans a little more towards the lacquered furniture look, that paint can take 24 hours to dry, and the water-based ones need multiple coats. Chalk paint or milk paint, on the other hand, don't require sanding and dry very quickly. Given the amount of time it takes to paint something with Water-Based alkyd paint, it's useful to ask myself if there is an alternative, easier way to get a comparable look without compromising the quality of the finish.

This little table looks great, but it took way too much time to dry in between coats, which meant that a small piece of furniture like this took days to complete.

Although I was going for a modern look on these tables, I used chalk paint because it dried quickly and was easiest to apply the pattern with. In the end, I achieved the look I was going for. 

Rule #6: If you aren't willing to invest time in doing it right, then don't do it right now. I can't tell you how many times I used to throw a crappy coat of paint on something just to get it done quickly. Now everyday I pull clothes out of a dresser that I should have done a better job painting, and it's a daily reminder of how my haste led to something I'm not totally happy with. I wish I had done it right the first time, because it's really too late to redo the thing, and if I ever want to replace it and sell it, I won't be able to get a price that it worth of my other work.

Rule #7: Admit when you don't think you'll ever take on a project, and get rid of it. Last year I picked up a free chair on the side of a curb and planned to fix it up for the Lucketts Market. When I got it home, I realized it wasn't in awesome shape, but was determined to fix it up. Finally, I determined it wasn't worth my time or energy, and I gave it away. It feels good to know that project isn't still sitting on my plate, and it's not taking up room in my home either. I'll probably end up doing the same with this chair too, since the frame is rotted beyond my ability to repair it.

Blue Chevron Child's Chair

If you didn't see it via facebook already, I've added a new item to my shop: this vintage blue and white chevron child's chair.

It's painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Provence and Original White, lightly distressed, and sealed with wax. I actually made a bunch of the fabric garlands you see in the photo and will be putting them in my Etsy shop soon. The framed alphabet print is also for sale.

Have a great weekend!

Linked to: Miss Mustard Seed, Redoux, My Repurposed Life, Primitive and Proper

Right in Time for Basketball Season

Every so often the boy sends me some wall art he's found online, and it generally involves either Indiana University (his Alma mater), or the American flag. And I normally respond with something to the effect of, "Oh, I could make that." Of course, I never really get around to it. But this, my friends, is the story of a time that I finally did. Let's call it my own version of Young House Love's "Dude, Get On That Already" initiative.

This particular request involved making a pretty simple distressed wood sign that said "HOOSIERS" on it. Embarrassingly Fortunately, I already had everything I needed.

For the sign, I used scrap wood from the shelf for my dresser-turned-TV-stand. I sanded it with some 220 grit sandpaper, especially around the edges, and then sprayed a light layer of primer over it in my backyard. This step was probably unnecessary. Oh well.

Next, I painted the whole board red using a sample of red paint from Home Depot that I had from a Christmas project. I think I ended up painting about three coats, until I couldn't see through the red anymore. The paint was an eggshell finish (that's just what the samples come as), which isn't ideal for distressing. If I had started from scratch, I probably would've used chalk paint instead. I let the paint dry over night, and the next day got started on my lettering.

It would be awesome if I had a projector like Miss Mustard Seed does, but alas, I do not. I learned a while ago that painting over a stencil doesn't work nearly as well as just hand painting letters on, and since I was planning to distress this piece, I knew they didn't have to be perfect. I went online and downloaded a "Collegiate" free font and so that I could print out the letters and trace them onto the board.

Since I wasn't quite sure what size letters I needed, I used Photoshop Elements to create a mock up of the sign. I measured the sign and created a new file to the same size. Then, I typed "HOOSIERS" and made note of what size the font needed to be. I also downloaded an IU logo and added it at the beginning. I used my guides to determine how tall that needed to be too. Oh, and the font comes with solid letters, but I used the outline letters so that I wouldn't use up so much ink when I printed them separately on white sheets of paper.

Once I knew how big the letters needed to be, I created individual 8.5 x 11 files, typed two letters per file, and printed them out. I also printed out the IU logo. Then I cut out the letters, used my T-square (hello, studio materials) to make sure they were basically spaced evenly and straight on the board. Once I got everything placed properly, I traced the letters and logo onto the red board with a mechanical pencil.

To apply the letters, I used a small, flat brush to fill in the letters with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White. I think I did about three layers. One thing I learned was that going slowly didn't help give me straight lines. It almost gave me more time to make an error. Having a little speed ensured that I made one swift motion. Again, because I planned to distress the letters, I could de-stress about making perfect (har har).

After the paint dried, I took the sign outside and started to distress it with some sandpaper...but that just wasn't getting the job done, so I took my power sander to it.

After sanding, I wiped down the sign to remove as much dust as possible and applied a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax. I let the wax dry for a while and then took it over to the boy's house to surprise him.

He was pretty pumped. We hung the sign in his room over his TV with 3M command strips...and that's the only portion of the picture below that I will claim responsibility for.

So there we go, I finally finished the project that I told the boy I'd make, oh, maybe a year ago? At least I got it done before the basketball season started. I guess now I have to make the American flag sign too.

P.S. Check out the last IU item I made for the boy's birthday last year. 

Linked to: The Vintage Farmhouse, The 36th Avenue, Domestically Speaking